Dishing out spectrum —

Dish gets FCC approval to build next-generation LTE network

LTE-Advanced network won't arrive until 2016.

Dish Network has gotten approval from the Federal Communications Commission to build a cellular network on spectrum previously allocated to satellite services. Dish has said it plans to build an LTE-Advanced network, which would be much faster than today's LTE service, but the targeted rollout date isn't until 2016.

Reporting on yesterday's FCC approval, the Wall Street Journalnoted that Dish "could have built a mobile network without the FCC rule changes. But those handsets would have to include a satellite chip, making them more expensive." Yesterday's vote lets Dish use its airwaves for a terrestrial-only cellular network.

If Dish doesn't build its own network, it could sell the spectrum or partner with a wireless provider like Sprint Nextel, Reuters reported. Recent rumors suggest Dish is talking with Google about a wireless partnership as well. Dish said yesterday that it "will consider its strategic options." However it plays out, it would take a while: in May, Dish made a filing with the FCC that pegged 2016 as the likely rollout date.

"To enter the market as a new and vibrant competitor in a field of powerful incumbents, DISH must focus on the future of cellular technology—LTE-Advanced. Developing and implementing a new LTE-Advanced network in the S-Band will take time," the company said. "Based on an ambitious build out schedule and barring unforeseen circumstances, DISH believes it can deploy its network to 60 million POPs [points of presence, or potential users] within four years. A three-year interim milestone is unrealistic for a new mobile broadband service provider and a new band, especially one that lacks a global ecosystem for LTE-Advanced equipment."

The FCC approval requires Dish to build out 70 percent of the cellular network within six years, the Journal said. Dish has 40MHz of spectrum from 2000-2020 MHz and 2180-2200 MHz. The FCC is requiring Dish to sacrifice some of its spectrum to assuage interference concerns raised by Sprint. On the plus side, Dish won't run into the same GPS interference problems that destroyed LightSquared's attempt to build a 4G network.

The FCC yesterday also announced plans for a spectrum auction in the H Block for next year.

A co-worker just said to me earlier today that he was dropping DISH because he didn't like the DSL service in his package.

Proper home broadband, that just happens to be wireless is the big draw here for DISH.

We'll see what the price is -- I have Verizon's LTE home broadband but it costs $90/month with a 20GB data cap -- too expensive and hobbled to compete with cable Internet, but miles better than any satellite Internet.

One end is near Sprint's cellular holdings. If Dish made a deal to work with Sprint, I wonder if they could avoid the guard band (make it one continuous spectrum band including Sprint's and Dish's holdings).

This whole wireless market is like some enormous poker/monopoly game in the US (and I assume similarly in other countries). AT&T and Verizon have put down hotels on their monopoly properties, and Sprint/Clearwire is short of cash. But Sprint/Clearwire/Dish together would have a great set of cards in their hands (lots of spectrum).

Well, that's probably a mixed metaphor stretched too far. But Dish certainly adds some spice to the game (shoot, I did it again).

A co-worker just said to me earlier today that he was dropping DISH because he didn't like the DSL service in his package.

Proper home broadband, that just happens to be wireless is the big draw here for DISH.

I have Dish + Comcast and I think I pay less than $100 a month for both. (120 stations on DISH and that's out of contract WITH an HD-DVR.)

I was paying $70/mo. For internet. Then for some reason, Comcast came to my door and offered "Basic Cable + Blast Internet (50Mbps since I live in an area that was doubled recently)" for $55/mo.

Bundles are overrated, as you're usually just getting the land line phone for free. If a company sees that you are only using a single service out of promo, they try to upsell you on additional products and you'll get the promo prices renewed year after year.

I've been doing this game for almost 4 years, and it's incredible. Bundling is just a waste of money.

One end is near Sprint's cellular holdings. If Dish made a deal to work with Sprint, I wonder if they could avoid the guard band (make it one continuous spectrum band including Sprint's and Dish's holdings).

I asked about the size of the band in a prior article. The answer is no, or at least not simply. The junction between dish's spectrum and the spectrum Sprint's expected to buy at an upcoming auction is uplink (Dish) to downlink (Sprint?); and at the power levels needed for the ~2ghz band a 5Mhz guard band is needed. In order to reduce or eliminate that 5mhz band it would be necessary to swap one pair of up/downlink channels; but that would potentially end up creating the need for a 5mhz guard band somewhere else making it a zero sum game. At worst it could end up requiring new 5mhz guard bands on both sizes for a net 5mhz loss.

I have Dish + Comcast and I think I pay less than $100 a month for both. (120 stations on DISH and that's out of contract WITH an HD-DVR.)

I was paying $70/mo. For internet. Then for some reason, Comcast came to my door and offered "Basic Cable + Blast Internet (50Mbps since I live in an area that was doubled recently)" for $55/mo.

Bundles are overrated, as you're usually just getting the land line phone for free. If a company sees that you are only using a single service out of promo, they try to upsell you on additional products and you'll get the promo prices renewed year after year.

I've been doing this game for almost 4 years, and it's incredible. Bundling is just a waste of money.

That's for sure. When I moved to Denver from overseas, I did a ton of research about which providers to go with for everything. TV, internet, cell phones, etc. Overwhelmingly what I found was that the bundle prices were consistently worse than the individual prices. Apparently, all bundling does for you is consolidate your billing. DirectTV (Which bundles with CenturyLink here) was way more expensive than Dish (also bundling with CenturyLink) once the special 12 month pricing offer expires. Comcast was even worse. They went out of their way to hide how much you would be paying after the deal pricing expired - which only lasted for six months. Then a tier up pricing kicks in until 12 months, then another tier pricing kicks in 13-24 months. After 12 months, their basic cable + basic internet package skyrockets to $110 per month. When you piece it out though, you can get a better deal just by selecting individual packages.

I asked about the size of the band in a prior article. The answer is no, or at least not simply. The junction between dish's spectrum and the spectrum Sprint's expected to buy at an upcoming auction is uplink (Dish) to downlink (Sprint?); and at the power levels needed for the ~2ghz band a 5Mhz guard band is needed. In order to reduce or eliminate that 5mhz band it would be necessary to swap one pair of up/downlink channels; but that would potentially end up creating the need for a 5mhz guard band somewhere else making it a zero sum game. At worst it could end up requiring new 5mhz guard bands on both sizes for a net 5mhz loss.

Not only that, but even with the 5MHz guard band, there will still be interference. Sprint says that the NPRM as enacted by the FCC would cause interference within 50' of a Dish phone with active uplink to the 1995-2000MHz band. And thats with the 5MHz guard band. Without it, well, the interference area would be the size of the first base side of baseball stadium (pdf, last two pages).

Not that it would happen, but it would be pretty sweet if Android based systems got an exclusive license to use the spectrum that Dish is going to be building out. So no matter which carrier you are with, you'll always have access to the fastest speeds. Of course coverage and availability will be a major factor as well as if you are on something other than an Android. But then you'd get in to the tit-for-tat that AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, etc would most likely lob at Google & Dish, Especially with AT&T trying to cry foul because they didn't get a slice of the pie... but then again they did get an exclusive deal with the iPhone for a few years. Who knows, just all random thoughts and what if's at this point.

Any competition is welcome. We have crap for cellular data services. My brand new LTE equipment works at 4 Mbits in a newly lit area. That stinks. 100 mbit capable links running at 4 mbits? Give the last mile a rest.

Fiber a set of Access points for cellular in use dense cell deployment, each fiber backhauled. Its cheap and easy to setup. And it uses low power small cells. Speeds should be in the 50 mbit range.

Otherwise we're looking at ANOTHER 10 years of horse hockey from the Carriers, whining about more spectrum, too many phones, too much data, capping the crap out of customers and 'shaping' their experience - spending money on that crap is like putting lipstick on a barnyard sow.

While I do think satellite companies need a alternative to what they have now for broadband service. I think Dish might be taking on more then it can handle. 2016 is a long time and its not clear what else may be available within that time. If more subscribers decide to just drop Dish TV services how many would actually come back in 3 or 4 years? I would welcome broadband competition because I live in a small town and Comcast charges us way more for services then those same services in bigger towns. But so far nothing is even close in speed from any competition. If Dish cannot do anything with it. I hope they sell it to some other company who can. What's sad in my opinion is that government funding has focused fiber upgrades mainly on commercial and educational side and not on getting everyone they can on a broadband network. Even Google's focus is minimal when you look at it.